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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28609095">Of Sisyphus, Of Orpheus</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/NatoNaozane/pseuds/NatoNaozane'>NatoNaozane</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Ranboo of SMP || Cassandra of Troy [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Video Blogging RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>I've really fallen in love with Cassandra Ranboo I won't lie, Mentioned Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Mentioned Wilbur Soot, No beta we die like Friend during Doomsday, Ranboo-centric (Video Blogging RPF), also can you tell ive read homestuck by the 2 pov writing style, check out the first part for where i got sisyphus phil and orpheus wilbur from!, reference to greek myths</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 08:47:26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,202</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28609095</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/NatoNaozane/pseuds/NatoNaozane</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>You glance back at Philza and suddenly you can only see Sisyphus. // You look back at Ghostbur for a moment and wonder what he would look like alive and with a lyre. // You look at your reflection in a piece of broken glass and you mourn for Cassandra.</i>
</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Ranboo of SMP || Cassandra of Troy [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2096283</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>119</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Of Sisyphus, Of Orpheus</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Sorry in advance for the sort of weird formatting, we're following C! Ranboos train of thought and is a bit scattered.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The snow fell slowly as you looked out the window of Technos’ and Phils’ cottage. The world outside is quiet, calmer than you are used to. New L’manberg was loud, fighting an ongoing war with no victory in sight regardless of their effort. </span>
  <em>
    <span>(Just like a clock, always ticking in an endless cycle- doomed to repeat past mistakes until the clock breaks.)</span>
  </em>
  <span> Here, however, is quiet- the calm after a storm. You’re drained after today, though who wouldn’t be? <strike>(“</strike></span>
  <strike>
    <em>
      <span>Do you even deserve to feel this way, Ranboo?” Dream whispers to you, fingers wrapping around your neck just barely squeezing down, “You didn’t even fight, all you did was watch”.)</span>
    </em>
  </strike>
  <span> You shake your head, trying to clear your thoughts. You look out the window once more and you think of Phil, of Sisyphus.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Sisyphus?” You ask Techno, having walked in on him reading an old looking book simply titled ‘Sisyphus.’</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Doomed to push a boulder up a hill for all of eternity after cheating death twice,” He tells you, elaborating when you make an interested noise, “Originally, he was the king of Corinth and was known for his trickery and intellect. Like all men, Sisyphus eventually died. However, Sisyphus had tricked Thanatos and chained the god of death up- effectively making everyone immortal until Ares freed Thanatos.” You nod along, having moved to sit on the floor in front of Techno as you listen to his story, “The second time he cheated death was when he tricked Hades wife, Persephone, into taking him back to the Overworld so she could do the ‘proper’ rituals. His final death, however,” Techno says, leaning back on his chair, “Was one he could not escape. Zeus himself intervened, cursing Sisyphus to push a boulder uphill and having the boulder fall back before it reaches the top. Cursed to make sure mortals aren’t encouraged by his behavior.” </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>You nod, eyes wide in almost amazement. It is interesting, hearing about old Mythos you missed out on living in… Where did you live? You blink for a moment, shaking your head for a second to clear your thoughts before hesitantly speaking, “Sisyphus reminds you of someone,” You say, speaking slowly- trying to make sure your thoughts are clear and inoffensive- “The way you talk about him… it sounds like you’re talking about someone else.” </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Techno pauses for a second, eyes wide and caught off guard for a second before he returns to his neutral state, an almost smile of pride on his face. He doesn’t verbally respond, rather instead he glances out the window and you follow his gaze until you land on Phil. You’ve only heard bits and pieces about what happened before you arrived, mostly from Ghostbur so it isn’t exactly reliable but you wrack your brain, trying to figure out where the lines cross at this moment until it suddenly hits you like a train. Philza, forced to kill his middle son moments after joining. Philza, known for cheating death in worlds where the world is much crueler and you only have one life before you’re done. Philza, who time and time again has been moments away from finally reaching peace before it's ripped from him again. You look at Techno who only gives you a subtle, easily missable, nod.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>You glance back at Philza and suddenly you can only see Sisyphus.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>--</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You blink, suddenly standing in the freezing cold in front of the nether portal. You don’t know how you got here, shivering from the snow falling around you- the dull ache of it melting on your skin hardly registering. Were you going to the nether? Why would you go there? You reach for your memory book only to find it missing from its normal spot, panic quickly spiking your heart as your lungs constrict and- and you can hardly breathe. </span>
  <strike>
    <em>
      <span>(“Again?” Dream whispers to you, tightening his grip on you, “Ranboo now come on, surely you can’t be this pathetic? Not even a day since the massacre and you’re already like this when you didn’t even do anything worthy of this feeling?”)</span>
    </em>
  </strike>
  <span> His hands tighten and- oh, it was already in his hand. He blankly stares at it for a moment, slowly calming down. You open the book, flipping to the recent page and all you have written is ‘Remember.’</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You look at the nether portal again and you think of Ghostbur, of Wilbur, of Orpheus. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Techno actually asks you if you want to hear another myth a couple of days later- Phil laughing quietly in the background as he trades with villagers. You nod, already getting comfortable on the floor as you give Techno your full attention, “Let’s see…” He thinks for a moment, his eyes wandering until he lands on Ghostbur a couple of feet outside of the village, showing Friend around, “Let’s do Orpheus.” </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Orpheus was, at least rumored to be, the son of Apollo and the muse Calliope,” Techno begins, “He was an amazing musician and in some myths, he also had a divine voice that could charm anyone. When he was a boy, he was gifted a lyre and some say even the gods couldn’t resist listening to him speak and play. As he grew up and mastered his gift so not even immovable objects were immune to his voice, his eyes landed on Eurydice and they fell in love instantly, getting married even when the hymn warned them the perfection won’t last. It gets a little murky here but when Eurydice was dancing with nymphs, she was bitten by a snake and died. Grief-stricken, Orpheus descends to the Underworld to plead with Hades and Persephone for Eurydice to return to the living world. Playing his lyre, not even the god of the dead could deny his grief. Making a deal, Hades told Orpheus that all Orpheus needed to do was lead Eurydice to the Overworld without looking behind him, to not look until they were in the sunlight. Orpheus, however, paranoid and doubtful turned around mere steps from success. He failed and Eurydice stayed dead. In his despair, he laid on a rock until a group of women killed him- not even putting up a fight.” </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>You look back at Ghostbur for a moment and wonder what he would look like alive and with a lyre.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You blink again and you’re standing at the crater of New L’manberg. <strike>(</strike></span>
  <strike>
    <em>
      <span>“Cassandra,” Dream purrs in your ear, bowing a bit as he holds out his hand for you to take, sunlight streaming from him as a lyre rests on his back and rocks lay beside his feet, “You couldn’t save Troy, how can you save yourself? Are you even worthy of being saved? Come to the Greeks and meet your fate already.”</span>
    </em>
  </strike>
  <span><strike>)</strike> It’s ruined, glass and withered wood lay everywhere- some places even still burning. Every step you take is dangerous, the ground beneath you unstable and you wonder if this was what Cassandra saw when the Greeks invaded. The once-powerful nation of Troy now rubble.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You look at your reflection in a piece of broken glass and you mourn for Cassandra.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strike>
    <em>
      <span>(Dream cackles next to you as your breath quickens. The sunlight burning your skin as you think of Apollo.)</span>
    </em>
  </strike>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I can't stop thinking about this so! Be prepared for more, though I can't promise they all won't center around Ranboo- I will try and write more 'Modern Myths' as I've called them. This will also be posted on my tumblr later- it's like, 1:24 am for me right now lol. </p>
<p>Also, I do want to clarify that I'm writing Dream to be more of a Sander Sides Remus type of deal where Dream is the personification of Ranboos intrusive/destructive thoughts. Brain Dream isn't real- Ranboo is just trying to cope with his anxiety and trauma by separating it from himself to make it easier to breakdown- he just hasn't reached that stage yet. So things like "Dream tightens his grip on your neck" isn't him actually doing anything to Ranboo, it's more of Ranboo panicking and his brain incorrectly saying that it's Dream doing it.<br/>Hopefully that all makes sense, regardless of my love for writing I'm not very good at explaining my thoughts.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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